


Neighbors

by xfrancesca



Category: Spartacus: Vengeance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-22
Updated: 2012-05-07
Packaged: 2017-11-04 02:43:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/388811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xfrancesca/pseuds/xfrancesca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Agron and Nasir are neighbors, but never spoke to one another in the five years they've lived in neighboring buildings. Suddenly, a chain of events leads them to become much more than just friends. </p><p> </p><p>A/N: Not continuing this. Sorry, folks!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was  _him_  again. Agron found it almost laughable that the kid had been his neighbor for five years, and yet it was just recently that he started seeing him everywhere. The kid lived in the apartment building next to his, and their windows faced each other, so Agron had caught a glimpse of him walking into his bedroom without a shirt on once or twice, but it’s not like Agron’s a  _stalker_  or anything.

Agron glanced up from his phone again (which he just pretended to check the time on), just to make sure that it was indeed him. Surely enough, 40 feet away, he stood. He was leaning against a brick building, with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket and his shining black hair tied in a loose ponytail behind his head. The kid looked up at the sky, as if contemplating something, and in an instant his eyes darted towards Agron. It was almost as if he  _knew_  the other man the staring at him. 

Agron quickly averted his eyes and quickened his pace. This wasn’t the first time those dark, almond-shaped eyes were on his, and he found the intensity of such a gaze to be unnerving. He was tired from rugby practice; he just wanted to get home and take a shower and not have to worry about the way the boy made his heart want to jump out of his chest.

He felt the gaze intensify as he passed by him, and he felt his face flush, as if the stare actually burned him. And it kind of did. He did his best at keeping his gaze lowered and hurrying past him, but then the unthinkable happened; he was no less than ten feet away when a voice called out.

“Wait, hold up!” said the dark haired kid. Agron froze, feeling all of his muscles tense up. What could he possibly want with Agron?

He felt a hand on his shoulder and his breath seized. Why was he acting this way? Agron was certainly not shy, nor was he timid about someone much smaller than him, but he couldn’t help but act this way, as if it was not he but someone else taking hold of his body. 

He turned to face the kid and beheld the sight of the dark eyes and tanned skin which he had previously only noticed from afar. A smirk played on the plump lips of the other man, and with a flick of the wrist he displayed something in front of his face; Agron’s wallet. Agron’s eyebrows raised and he gave his pockets a cautionary pat, as if that certainly wasn’t  _his_  wallet that the stranger was holding, it had to have been someone else’s wallet in front of him with the same Broncos sticker on it.

“Oh,” Agron said, more of a sigh than an actual word. “Did I drop that?” And the guy just raised an eyebrow and laughed. An airy laugh, and when he looked at Agron again, his eyes seemed to gleam. He offered the wallet to Agron again, only to pull it away from him and say “Unless you care me to keep it instead?” That made Agron crack a smile, and he quickly grabbed his wallet from the other’s hand, trying to ignore the way their fingers brushed when he did so, and slipped it into his back pocket.

“Thank you…” Agron said, letting his sentence trail off in hope that the man would help him in the offerring of his name so he might properly thank him.

The man smiled and cocked his head to the side, seeing right through Agron’s words to their purpose. 

“You,” said the dark-haired kid, “can call me Nasir.” Agron smiled, perhaps a bit too much, and nodded. When he was met with nothing but a curious stare and a cocked eyebrow, he wondered if he should start walking again, but Nasir placed a hand on his chest to prevent him from doing so.

“What about you?” He asked.

“Well…” Agron said, “You could have just looked at my ID and found out.” Then it was Nasir’s turn to smile, and the hand that was on Agron’s chest fell back to his side.

“Agron,” he offered, and Nasir nodded his head. 

“I guess I’ll see you around then, Agron,” Nasir said, and backed away to allow Agron to walk away. Agron smiled and his gaze fell downward again, continuing his journey home, albeit in different spirits than before. 

“And hey!” Nasir called after him, “Don’t think I don’t notice you staring through my window!” 

Agron’s stomach dropped, his heart raced, and the last thing he heard as he turned the corner was the sound of Nasir’s laugh following him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An opportunity presents itself.

It was a couple of mornings later, when Agron was making coffee in his kitchen, that something caught his eye. He glanced over through the kitchen window at the apartment building next to his, and caught a glimpse of Nasir. He immediately turned away, the other man’s comment from days earlier echoing in his mind; _Don’t think I don’t notice you staring through my window!_ , and he felt the embarrassment flood through him once more.

His kitchen window offered a great (yet tempting view) of Nasir’s bedroom, and Agron couldn’t help but try to look inconspicuous as he sipped his coffee and let his eyes travel once more. The view that greeted him was a very amused Nasir, with his hair combed and flowing down just below his shoulders. Before Agron could turn away again or maybe invest in some blinds so he wouldn’t be tempted once more, Nasir held up a finger in a “wait” gesture. Agron was slightly amused, and curious, so he put down his coffee and leaned against his counter, watching as the other man rummaged through his room for something. Agron became aware of the fact that while Nasir was wearing a shirt, he himself was not, and then quickly came to the conclusion that a shirt was unneeded at this point, anyway.

When Nasir came back to the window, he pressed a sheet of paper against it, where he had written words on it large enough for Agron to see from the fifteen feet that separated their buildings;  _Good Morning_. 

Agron felt a flutter somewhere in his chest at the sight of Nasir’s smile, something he feared he would never tire of, and smiled in return. Nasir let the paper drop to the floor and after holding eye contact for a few more seconds, made a sort of  _I have to go_ gesture with his hand, pointing at his bedroom door, and Agron nodded, turning away and heading to his own bedroom to get ready for work.

After work Agron drove to rugby practice, as was custom for 5 days out of the week. It was a team put together about two years ago by a group of guys in the community who liked the sport, so of course Agron was the first one there. Any opportunity to do physical harm was one that Agron was going to take advantage of. 

He couldn’t deny the fact that Nasir was first and foremost on his mind for a majority of the day, and despite his best efforts to hide the fact, Mira had commented on it once or twice during work. It seems that Agron wasn’t quite the best when it came to keeping his thoughts hidden from the world. Rugby was his chance to channel all of his energy into a tough and technical sport.

Agron was doing his part as he played the position of lock forward (which he normally takes due to his height), and almost always worked well with his team of roughly 30 players (some which only came occasionally, and some which showed up to every practice), most notably his brother Duro and their team captain, Spartacus. Today the team split into two and faced each other, so the numbers on each side were akin to an actual game.

Things were going well, and Agron’s side had the advantage as they had Spartacus and Gannicus as two of the back positions, who were arguably the fastest and most agile runners, and helped them gain advantage multiple times. 

All it took was one mistake. Agron had let his mind drift for a single second, his thoughts straying to images of dark hair and mysterious eyes, of warm-toned skin and plump lips, and a player from the opposing team had pushed right passed him, knocked him on his ass, and scored a try. Agron mentally cursed himself for indulging in a reverie in the middle of a game, and of course the first one there to berate him was Crixus.  _Fucking Crixus_. 

“Maybe if you stopped day-dreaming like a fucking school girl you would have seen that coming, you fucking German shit.” Agron stood up and met Crixus’ harsh gaze. 

“Maybe if you were a better tight head I wouldn’t have to carry all of the work load for you.” Agron was taller than Crixus, but the other man was menacing in build and gaze. Agron stood his ground, but before anything could happen Spartacus was pushing them apart.

“Not this again, guys,” he said, sounding almost annoyed. “Can you work as a team for once?”

Agron smirked. The rest of their team looked towards the two with a mix of exasperation and entertainment.

Agron backed off first, but not before mumbling something about Crixus being a  _fucking lazy shit_.

Most of the guys left immediately after practice, but some stayed on the field as the weather was still warm and welcoming. Agron picked his bag off the grass and pulled out his sports drink, and was in the midst of quenching his thirst when his brother walked up to him.

“Hey,” Duro greeted, and once Agron had finished drinking, Duro predictably stole the bottle and killed the remainder of its contents. 

“One second,” Agron explained to his brother, and walked away to meet another friendly face.

“Oh, Agron, hi!” Greeted Naevia, and Agron greeted her with a hug. Naevia was one of his favorite people, except for one thing—

Crixus walked up to them and hugged Naevia, appropriately ignoring Agron in favor of his girlfriend.

“Oh no,” she muttered, lightly tracing a cut on his lip that Crixus received during practice. He smiled and shrugged.

“It’s alright, I’ll live.” He assured her. Agron couldn’t help but scoff and mumble “for the moment.” Crixus heard it and turned to him, a smirk playing on his lips.

“I’m sorry, did you have something to say?” They stared each other down again, the intensity around them making even Naevia want to say something. The moments seemed to stretch, and neither one of them was about to acquiesce.

Then, just as abrubtly at the stare-down began, the two started laughing and hugging, giving each other warm pats on the back. 

“Oh, you fucking son-of-a-bitch,” Crixus said with the same warmth one would say  _I love you, dude_.

Agron laughed and clapped the other man on the shoulder. “Damn right, fucker.”

“I…” Naevia interrupted, looking honestly perplexed. “You two have got to have the most confusing relationship I’ve ever witnessed.”

“Why?” Agron deadpanned. “We hate each other. Simple as that.”

After sticking around for a little longer and making small talk with Crixus and Naevia (and catching up with his brother, that’s not to say they don’t talk everyday), Agron headed home in good spirits. He parked his car and was at the entrance of his apartment complex when he heard muttered curses from not too far away. He looked to his side and saw none other than Nasir, standing at the front of his own residence and searching through his pockets.

“Damn it,  _shit_ ,” he mumbled, and didn’t even notice Agron until the man was standing beside him.

“Anything I can help you with?” Agron asked. Nasir stopped searching and looked up at him.

“Uh, no,” Nasir said, offering a half-hearted smile. “I kinda lost my keys. Must’ve left ‘em at my brother’s place when I was there earlier today. I’m just gonna text him and ask him to bring them over.”

“Oh,” Agron said, always the articulate one. Then an idea popped into his head. “Well, you can come up to my place and have a drink while he gets here. No reason to wait out in the street.”

“Well,” Nasir started. Agron hoped he didn’t come off too strong, or gave the wrong impression, because he honestly just wanted to talk to the guy, and if  _he_  was the one that lost the keys to his apartment he would hope someone like Nasir would help him out.

“Only if you promise to not take advantage of me.” Nasir teased. That same spark in his eyes became evident again, and Agron nodded.

“Scout’s honor, Nasir,” he assured him, and realized that he enjoyed the way the name felt on his lips.

“I highly doubt you were ever a scout,” the other man countered.

“Well then… Rugby player’s honor?” Agron offered.

“Good enough.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agron and Nasir begin to learn a bit more about each other.

“Would you like anything to drink?” Agron asked. Nasir settled on the couch in the living room and curiously glanced around, ultimately setting upon Agron’s green eyes.

“Oh, nothing, I’m fine,” Nasir answered off-handedly. He didn’t want to impose or anything of the sort. Agron was already being hospitable enough. 

“You sure?” Agron insisted. “I have some cold beer if you want.”

A snarky comment formed in Nasir’s mind but before he could voice it, Agron held up a hand and smiled.

“I’m not trying to ply you with alcohol.” Agron smiled, the dimples in his cheeks coming to full view. Nasir tried to hide his smirk by bowing his head while he took out his phone, but nodded.

“Alright then.” 

While Agron was in the kitchen, Nasir texted Pera about driving over and bringing him his keys, and after the initial _dude why can’t you come get them yourself_  his brother caved in and said he’ll be over in twenty minutes.

Nasir looked up and let his eyes travel around the living room. Typical bachelor-style apartment, with a flat screen, a couch, and various sports things and clothing items strewn about. What really caught his eye were the various pictures on the wall as well as the frames on the coffee table. He quietly got up, wanted to get a closer look at a group of three medium-sized framed pictures in a line along the wall adjacent to the couch. 

When Nasir approached them he could see that the two pictures on the sides were of Agron with various friends. The frame on the left held a of a group of fifteen or so people at a dinner table, Agron among then, and the frame on the right was Agron within a group of about five or six people, including two beautiful women, one with darker skin and shining black hair, and one with lighter skin, long dark hair and high cheekbones.

The one in the center was Agron with his arm slung around the shoulder of a dark-haired man about his height. It seemed to be taken at a party, with all the people in the background of the picture, and the familiarity that Agron and the unknown man seemed to share in their body language spoke of either family ties or romantic ones. Nasir turned when he saw Agron, who had changed into a tank and pants, walk back into the living room with two bottles of beer in his hand. He walked over to Nasir and smiled, handing him the opened bottle. They wordlessly clinked their drinks and took a sip.

“Who is that?” Nasir asked, nodding towards the middle frame. He gauged Agron’s reaction but it was as plain as day by the bright smile on his face.

“My brother, Duro.”

“Are you two close?” Nasir asked. Agron nodded.

“Definitely, he knows me better than anyone.”

Nasir smiled and looked down at the cold bottle in his hands.

“That’s like me and my brother, Pera. I know everything about him and he knows everything about me— well, mostly everything.”

Agron raised an eyebrow. “ _Mostly_  everything?”

Nasir shrugged and walked over to the couch, setting his bottle down on the coffee table after not finding a coaster. Agron doesn’t look like the type of person that would have coasters lying around, anyway. The taller man followed and sat down next to him, urging him to go on with a simple look.

“Well he doesn’t watch me have sex or who I happen to be having it with, so no, he doesn’t know everything.” Nasir’s eyes left Agron’s face for a moment, suddenly self-conscious. It took a moment, but realization finally dawned on Agron and he nodded understandingly.

“Well, it’s just, our parents, and our religion…” Nasir began explaining, but Agron placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and ducked his head down to meet Nasir’s eyes.

“Hey, no need to explain anything like that to me. I understand. My parents are strict Catholics but they got used to the fact that their son likes other men.”

Nasir was not quite surprised.

They made small talk for the next ten minutes, speaking about certain subjects (like what their jobs were and where they came from) and then going on a tangent about something or other until neither knew how they got in the topic of why Green Lantern was the best DC hero, but they somehow did and it was all good. Nasir’s beer was drained and so was Agron’s, and just when they were in the middle of discussing their favorite movies, Nasir’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

“Oh,” he said after glancing at the screen. “My brother’s downstairs.” He got up and put on his jacket while he walked to the door, albeit a bit rushed.

“Thanks for everything, Agron,” Nasir said as Agron followed him and opened the front door.

“Do you want me to walk you down?” Nasir was leaving way too quickly for Agron’s taste. He would have preferred if Nasir just stayed a little longer so Agron could continue hearing his voice and looking into his brown eyes and seeing him smile.

“No, thanks.” Nasir stood in the doorway and glanced at the stairs that lead down to the front of the building, and then back to Agron, and quickly pulled Agron down into a tight hug, which Agron barely reciprocated due to the surprise of it. Then before he knew, it Nasir placed a chaste kiss to his cheek, and ran off down the stairs while he called out a “thanks again, bye!” and his sneakers tapped against the concrete.

Agron remained looking out into the hallway, and tried to think about what happened. Yeah, Nasir definitely did kiss him… on the cheek. It had been a long while since Agron felt his stomach flip from a simple, friendly kiss like that, but he didn’t necessarily dislike the feeling. He closed the door and walked past the living room and into his bedroom, allowing himself to fall face-first onto his mattress

  


“Morning, Agron,” Mira said as she walked into the office. 

“Hey, mornin’,” Agron mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. He may or may not have fallen asleep at his cubicle for the third time this morning.

“Here,” she said, and suddenly Agron had a warm cup of coffee in his hand and he drank it like the nectar of the Gods. Well, really hot nectar. But that didn’t matter, he needed to stay awake. Especially if his boss happened to catch him. Illithyia wasn’t known for her kindness at the workplace. Or anywhere, really.

Mira leaned against the side of his cubicle and sipped her own coffee. “Why are you so tired? I mean, you’re usually tired in the morning, but you’ve never fallen asleep at your desk, Agron.”

Agron cautiously peaked at his desk to make sure he didn’t drool on his spreadsheets. Good.

“I, just, y’know. Outside of work stuff. Rugby.” It left his lips before he knew it and he immediately tried to apologize. “Shit, Mira, I told you I wouldn’t mention—” but Mira held up a hand and he stopped mid-sentence.

“Don’t worry about it. I know you’re friends with Spartacus, and just because he and I aren’t together anymore doesn’t mean you can’t mention his name or the fact that you two are on a team together. It’s fine.” She smiled and Agron nodded.

“You’re right,” Agron said, “besides, if the rumors are true then you and that intern are getting really close. What’s her name again? Sara?”

Mira blushed, her cheeks beginning to match the bright red of her lipstick. “Saxa.” She corrected him. “But we’re just friends, I’m showing her around and helping her out here and there—”

“Oh yeah, I bet you are helping her out.” Agron winked, and for a minute Mira looked like she was going to throw a stapler at his head.

“This is not a workplace discussion,” she concluded, her voice not entirely serious. 

“I guess me and you have a date with a bar this Friday, then.” Agron said. She smiled and started to walk back to her cubicle when she suddenly remembered something and popped her head into Agron’s workspace. 

“By the way, you’re going to tell me who’s got you so love-sick, you big sap.” Before he could argue with her, she was off. He never  _did_  figure out how she could walk so fast in those heels.

  


Life continued as usual for the next few days, except for the fact that every time Agron closed his eyes he saw ink black hair and dark, intriguing eyes.  Nasir was on his mind more often than Agron would care to admit. That’s why when Agron walked into his kitchen Thursday night to grab a bottle of water from his fridge and saw Nasir through the window, his heart jumped.  He slowly closed the fridge door and walked over to the window to wave  _hi_ , as if this was a completely acceptable way to greet your neighbor; by staring at them when they’re in their bedroom. 

Nasir smiled, almost as if he was waiting for Agron to notice him, and held up a sheet of paper. 

_Gladiator?_

Agron raised an eyebrow and quickly pulled a blank post-it off of his fridge and a nearby pen, and wrote a big _ **?**_  as response.

Nasir quickly scribbled something on the other side of the sheet and held it up.

_Wanna come over and watch the movie with me?_

Agron’s first thoughts were something along the lines of  _YES YES YES_  but he managed to just smile and hold up a hand.  _5 minutes._

Nasir nodded and Agron was off into his own bedroom, changing into a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt that happened to be missing its sleeves. He ran/walked into his bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. After quickly washing his face and giving his hair a quick comb-through, he grabbed his wallet and keys and leaving his apartment…

Only to re-enter a moment later and run to his kitchen, quickly grabbing something from the cupboard and heading out again. He made sure the lock the door behind him and then ran down the stairs, stopping himself just before the exit and taking a minute to compose himself. He ran his fingers through his hair once more and looked down at himself to make sure everything was in order.

Which was a miracle, really, because that meant he had time to zip his fly up and not look like a total loser.

He walked out of his building and took the few steps to the neighboring complex, where Nasir was standing outside with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Hey,” he said when Agron stood in front of him, and then they hugged again. This time Agron had enough sense to hug him back and try to ignore how warm Nasir was.

“I forgot to write down my bell number, so,” Nasir chuckled.

“Yeah, we should probably start communicating in a different way.”

“Oh, I like this just fine,” Nasir opened the door to the building and they both walked in and headed for the stairs.

“I, uh, brought popcorn,” Agron said as they began ascending the three flights of stairs it took to reach Nasir’s apartment. Nasir stopped and looked back at him for a second, and Agron held out the packet. “I mean, I’m guessing you have a microwave. And what’s a movie without popcorn, right?”

“Right.” Nasir smiled and took the packet from Agron, and they continued their ascent.

When they were inside Nasir’s apartment, roles felt slightly reversed as Agron sat on the couch and Nasir went to the kitchen to put the popcorn in the microwave and get something to drink. If there was one glaring difference between Agron’s apartment and Nasir’s, it’s that Nasir’s was much cleaner. 

The television in front of him was paused on the menu screen on the DVD. When Nasir walked back into the room, their eyes met.

“Nice place,” Agron commented, because he simply wanted to say something and that was the first, albeit stupid, phrase that came to mind.

Nasir smiled as he walked over to him and placed a beer in front of him on the coffee table. 

“Don’t act as if you’ve never seen it before,” he joked as he sat down next to him.

“Hey!” Agron interjected, “My window looks into your bedroom, not your living room,” he corrected. 

Nasir smirked. “Now that you mention it, I was actually thinking about closing my curtains once in a while. I’m starting to think you see  _too_  much.”

Nasir couldn’t help but laugh when he saw the look on Agron’s face when he said this. He almost couldn’t help but cup the side of Agron’s face affectionately.

“I was just kidding. I enjoy having you as my own personal voyeur.” He suddenly realized where his hand was and let it fall back to his lap. 

Agron wanted to argue, or make a witty remark, but the words were lost somewhere between his brain and his mouth, so he just smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night together, and people begin noticing a change in Agron.

It was quite surprising how easily Nasir and Agron fell into a comfortable silence once the popcorn was ready and the movie played. The lights in the living room were off, so the only source of light was the glow of the television screen, and every once in a while Agron would look over and catch a glimpse of Nasir who sat Indian-style beside him. Agron observed the way the light from the television screen would illuminate Nasir’s features, and how, in one second, Nasir would crack a smile (probably from noticing Agron’s gaze), and Agron couldn’t help but smile along with him.

“The show’s over there you know,” Nasir said, nodding towards the TV screen. Agron caught himself and realized he’d looked for a little too long, and tried to make up an excuse but quickly realized he couldn’t, so he simply reached for the popcorn bowl that sat between them and grabbed a handful, working on eating so Nasir wouldn’t expect him to say anything.

When the movie was over the two found themselves comfortably leaning against one another, with the now-empty bowl moved to the coffee table instead.

“Can you imagine?” Agron said as the credits rolled. Nasir looked at him expectantly and he continued. “Being a gladiator. Being forced to walk into an arena and fight for your life… kill someone so you can survive and please the masses at the same time?” It wasn’t necessarily a serious question, but it was one that Agron began to ponder.

Nasir looked at the screen for a second, thoughtfully, and then back to Agron. “There are so many things that people can and will do when put in a difficult situation.”

“Yeah?” Agron said, “But gladiators were real. Real people killing other real people just so they could live another day…” Nasir smiled at him and placed his hand on Agron’s arm.

“I guess the fighter comes out in all of us when called upon,” he reasoned. 

Agron nodded, but the thought forefront on his mind at that second was Nasir’s warm hand on his arm, and Agron’s gaze traveled from his hand, to his arm, and settled on Nasir’s face. At that moment it was an unavoidable pull, like a gravitational force, and Nasir was the Sun while Agron came closer and closer to his brightness. Agron leaned in and cupped and side of Nasir’s face, and for a moment neither of them breathed, and time itself stopped, but Nasir wasn’t backing away and Agron needed to feel him.

Agron moved his face an inch closer and Nasir met him halfway. At first, the kiss was just a simple press of lips, with Agron’s hand on the side of Nasir’s face, and then something sparked, and Nasir began to move his lips and his hand was on the back of Agron’s neck, pulling him closer. The kiss wasn’t rushed, and Agron had an opportunity to taste Nasir. He gently sucked on Nasir’s bottom lip and then dragged his teeth across it, and that elicited a low groan from the other man. Soon, Nasir’s hands were pressed against Agron’s chest and he pushed against the German until he was laying back on the couch.

Nasir laid on top of him, and his hands immediately went to Agron’s face while Agron’s hands when to rest comfortably on Nasir’s back. They kissed again, their tongues interweaving briefly before Nasir pulled away and settled himself against Agron’s side with his head resting against Agron’s shoulder. His shirt had rode up a bit and Agron rested his hand against the smooth skin there.

Agron tried thinking of something to say to break the silence, but his mind was too clouded with Nasir; the feel of his skin, the way their bodies pressed together so perfectly, and how Agron had been living next to this man for such a long time and it was only now that things are happening. Agron was grateful, and he thought that it’s better late than never, because now he was getting to know his mysterious neighbor, and even though Agron had only a tiny glimpse of who Nasir was, he wanted to know more.

Agron felt Nasir start to shake slightly, and before he could ask what was wrong the other man began to laugh; a giggle at first, but it quickly turned into peals of laughter, with his face pressed against Agron’s neck, and Agron laughed too, because Nasir’s merriment was contagious, and this was all kind of funny, in a weird way.

When the laughter had subsided, Nasir picked his head up and looked at Agron. His hair was mussed up a bit, but then again, so was Agron’s. Nasir ran a hand through Agron’s short crop of hair and smirked.

“This is kind of weird,” Nasir said. Agron’s brain almost rushed to the conclusion that Nasir thought that Agron himself was weird, or that being around him was weird, but before those ideas took ground, Nasir kissed him again and they dispersed. “Not this,” he clarified. “This is quite enjoyable. I mean the situation. I never knew that I’d be lying on top of my neighbor one day. Especially the same neighbor who I see every morning, making coffee in his kitchen when he’s still half asleep.”

Agron grinned. “Your  _hot_ neighbor?” 

He received a hard bite on his lower lip for that comment.

 

Agron awoke in the morning feeling amazing. He stretched, and didn’t even rush to open his eyes because his alarm clock hadn’t rung yet. It was only when he felt a warm body next to him that he realized he wasn’t even in his apartment. Sometime during the night, Nasir and Agron had moved to Nasir’s bedroom, and after removing only some clothing, they spent a while taking comfort in each other, running their hands over each other’s bodies and exchanging soft kisses, and the night ended when they both drifted off to sleep.

It wasn’t at all unpleasant, having Nasir’s smaller, warm body pressed against his. Agron sighed and pressed his nose against Nasir’s neck, inhaling his scent, and he couldn’t quite place why it was that the Syrian smelled so comforting and sweet and made Agron want to lay with him all day, but it was intoxicating. His hand was on Nasir’s hip and he rubbed his thumb against the hip bone there, and Nasir stirred slightly, placing his hand atop Agron’s.He enjoyed the sensation of Nasir next to him and the way the world around them seemed so quite, but it was soon over when Agron groaned at the realization that it was indeed Friday, and he needed to get to work. What he didn’t expect when he raised his head a little to see past Nasir and read the time on the digital clock on the nightstand, was for him to already be

“ _Fuck me_ ,” he spat. He looked down at Nasir once more and kissed his cheek, whispering that he had to go. He probably didn’t even hear him, but that was alright. Agron rushed to put his shirt back on and slip his shoes on and leave Nasir’s apartment, running downstairs and to the building next door.

 

Agron’s nightmare came true when he walked into the office and Illithyia was standing by his cubicle.

“What did I tell you about lateness, Agron?” The funny thing is that Illithyia was quite gorgeous, and Agron would be lying if he hadn’t been smitten with her when he first got the job, but it’s hard to have a crush on someone when they’re so… intimidating.

“I’m very, very sorry Illithyia. I was occupied and ended up leaving my place later than I intended.” He straightened his tie and put his things down in his cubicle, taking his suit off and draping it on the back of his computer chair.

Illithyia remained where she was, and Agron almost felt like complimenting her suit and pencil skirt, which really worked well with her great figure, but she kind of looked like she was going to slit his throat at the moment, so he kept quiet.

“Don’t do it again, Agron.” She warned, her foot tapping against the floor in a serious fashion.  ”I want the projections for the final quarter in my office in an hour, by the way. I’m not giving you any leeway with  _that_.”

Agron remained hushed and nodded, trying his best to look sweet and innocent, but that didn’t work. She merely gave him one more harsh look and then walked off, her stilettos tapping against the linoleum floor. He let out a giant sigh of relief as soon as she left and collapsed into his chair. He had gotten ready so quickly that he felt out of whack, and he was pretty sure he gave himself more than a few nicks while shaving his face in a rush.

Surely enough, Mira sneaked by right after Illithyia left and walked into his cubicle. “I didn’t know if you were going to make it today.”

He looked up at her and smiled. “Yeah. I slept with my neighbor last night,” he didn’t even realize how that sounded until after he’d said and, and he tried to retract his statement but Mira already had a knowing smirk and a cocked eyebrow. 

“Not like that!” He assured. “Seriously. We watched a movie at his place and then slept in his bed.”

“And nothing happened?” She asked, joking aside.

“Nah,” he shrugged. After a second or two of silence, he looked up at her again, “but I’m glad. I don’t want to rush things with him.”

Mira smiled and Agron caught a glimpse of something else in her features.

“What is it?”

“Nothing,” she said. “I’m just happy for you. I hope things work out.” 

Agron grinned. “Yeah, me too.”

“And I better be invited to your wedding,” she sing-songed. “Or I will be royally pissed off.” He laughed, mostly because the image of marrying Nasir came into his mind so easily, it was quite ridiculous

She walked over to him and fixed his hair, trying to make him more presentable. “You really  _were_  in a rush…” she mumbled.

 

“Why have you been acting so differently?” Duro asked. A whole lot of them were at a bar, and after sharing a few beers with his brother Agron almost anticipated this question.

“I’m not, though,” Agron insisted. Duro gave him a look. He shrugged and looked down at the beer in front of him, wiping the pad of his thumb against the condensation droplets on the cold green bottle.

“It’s just in the way you speak and the way you act. Not anything really bad, but just weird… Are you in love, brother?” Duro grinned and nudged Agron in the ribs with his elbow. “C’mon, you can tell me anything!” Agron sighed and drank some more. “I want to meet him,” he suddenly said, and Agron almost choked on his beer. “I need to make sure he’s good enough for my older br—”

“Woah, woah, Duro,” Agron patted his younger sibling on the back. “Calm down. I just started talking to the guy, it’s not like we’re walking down the isle tomorrow.” And what  _was it_  with all the allusions to marriage today? Duro smiled again and slung an arm around his shoulders.

“But you’d tell me when you do, huh?” Duro asked, prompting his brother to roll his eyes.

“Speaking of,” Agron said, “how’s that little red-haired number of yours? Azira, right?”

This time it was Duro’s turn to act coy.

“She’s good. Just left for Africa yesterday and she’s not coming back for a couple of months, but we’re going to keep in contact.”

“Remind me again how someone like you has a missionary for a girlfriend?” It was a joke, but Duro managed to be at a loss for words and just shrugged it off, taking another sip of his beer. 

Agron looked around and found his friends and coworkers scattered among the bar. Chadara was chatting Donar up (big surprise there), one or two other people from the office basically letting loose. It was a Friday night after all. Agron couldn’t help the sudden pang in his chest, though, and found himself wishing he was at home… well, not necessarily at home, but with Nasir. Talking to him, seeing him smile, hearing his laugh. He really wanted that.

He also spotted Mira sitting in a booth with that intern, Saxa. He noticed the way they spoke; each engrossed in what the other was saying, their bodies turned slightly towards one another, and he looked away. Mira deserved to be happy, since she gave so much of herself to Spartacus but their love faded quickly (at least, that was what Agron knew of it, from what Mira told him. She had called him immediately after the break up, and vented her feelings while Agron comforted her, and that was the last time that it was ever mentioned in detail). He felt his heart swell, because maybe seeing Mira happy gave him a little more hope that things would continue going well between him and Nasir.

 

Agron got home around 1AM, and wanted nothing more than to strip down to his boxers and fall into a deep sleep and dream. He shuffled into his kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of his fridge, drinking about half of it before his eyes traveled to his side and he looked out of his window.

There was a piece of paper taped to Nasir’s bedroom window, and although the room was dark Agron could make out large numbers written on it. He smiled and took his phone out, carefully dialing each number to make sure he didn’t make a mistake, and saved it under the name that had been on his mind for what seemed like the longest time.

_Nasir._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nasir is feeling affected by Agron as well, and an accident occurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more Nasir-centric, because I felt that we needed to learn about who he is as well.

The next morning, they had breakfast together. Agron had woken up at around 9, per usual for a Saturday morning, and remembered that he now had Nasir’s number in his phone. He usually cooked a big breakfast for himself, but realized that he could just as easily invite Nasir over for some food and conversation. Agron looked over at Nasir’s window while he cooked breakfast and was slightly saddened when he saw the curtains were drawn, but he took his chances anyway and texted him.

_hey, are you awake?_  It wasn’t the best thing he could have written, but it was certainly the first thing that came to mind. He tried not to anticipate a response right away, and left his phone on the counter so he wouldn’t be tempted to check it before he actually got a text, but a few minutes later there was a familiar buzz that signaled a reply.

_Hot Neighbor, is that u? Glad you wrote my number down._

Agron couldn’t help the elation he felt at the reply, and stared at the screen of his phone for a moment too long because the bacon that sizzled on the skillet almost burned.

_I made too many pancakes. want some?_

Nasir’s reply was almost instantaneous.

_awesome. i love  pancakes._

Half an hour later, Nasir and Agron were sitting at Agron’s kitchen table, eating and talking about whatever subjects came to mind. Nasir was already awake when Agron called and came over wearing sweatpants and a white tee, which funnily enough made Agron’s heart constrict. Nasir could possibly look amazing in anything he wore. 

“Do you always make this much food?” Nasir wasn’t complaining, but looking at the food in front of him; blueberry pancakes, eggs, bacon, and toast, he wondered if Agron always ate like this. 

“Oh, no.” Agron laughed. “Just once in a while. Usually Saturdays.”

“Well,” Nasir said, “at least you can cook.” He took a bite of his pancakes and Agron smiled, feeling quite proud of himself. “You’ll definitely make some man very happy one day,” Nasir added, not entirely talking just about the other man’s cooking skills. Agron looked up at him and saw a warm smile. Under his blue gaze, Nasir averted his eyes for a second and tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

“As will you,” Agron said, which made Nasir look up at him, a hint of surprise on his face. The German nodded once and offered him a smile. And maybe, if he was lucky, Agron would be that guy that Nasir would make happy one day. Because, hell, he was already doing an amazing job of it now.

The breakfast soon lead astray from more stressful matters and when the two men had finished their food and were each drinking a cup of coffee and talking about matters of life, rugby, and art (which was mostly Nasir speaking and Agron listening with genuine interest— since Nasir was the one that worked at an art gallery, but Agron could appreciate the finer points of life). Eventually they nervousness that surrounded them before dispersed and they joked and teased with ease. 

“So does that mean you make art?” Agron asked. “Like painting, sketching, that kind of stuff?”

Nasir shrugged. “Kinda. I used to, a lot. Then I just stopped… Never bothered picking up a paint brush or a sketch pad again, but I enjoy looking at other people’s art.”

“Still, that’s great. Better than working in a cubicle. The things you make, or… the things that you see, have the ability to change the world.” Agron got up to refil his coffee cup, and filled up Nasir’s cup as well.

“Thanks,” Nasir said when Agron set his cup back down in front of him. “But I don’t think that applies to me. Nothing I make will ever change the world.”

Agron sat back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest, a playful smirk on his mouth. “Well maybe not the whole world, but you definitely have the ability to change other peoples’ worlds. Have an immediate impact on their life.”

“Okay,” Nasir chuckled. 

“And if  _that_  doesn’t work out,” Agron paused to take a sip of his coffee, “you can do what I do and inflict pain on others for fun.”

Nasir couldn’t help but laugh, and Agron feigned insulted. 

“ _What_?” Agron practically whined, a wide smile upon his lips.

“You could never hurt anyone,” he finally said. His face felt warm from laughing. Agron was far too sweet to do that.

“Well, maybe not you,” he titled his head slightly and gave Nasir a look that made him feel scatterbrained for a second. “I would never hurt you. But everyone else is fair game.” 

 

Nasir had gotten up to use Agron’s bathroom, and when he walked out he saw Agron standing by the window in the kitchen. Nasir smiled and felt his heart swell with tenderness, but he didn’t know why, and it was just a bit terrifying.

“Hey,” Nasir said, “I’m right here,” and Agron turned around, and his lips slowly stretched into a smile. He was leaning against the window and the sun that reached through the glass illuminated his hair and seemed to give him a holy-like quality. Agron nodded, a small, simply gesture, barely a jerk of the head, and Nasir understood. He walked over to him and embraced the other man, and quickly realized that he didn’t want to let go.

Nasir pulled back a little and placed a hand on the side of Agron’s face. Agron smirked and turned his face into Nasir’s hand, nuzzling his cheek and nose against it. Nasir laughed and pulled his hand back, only to grab both sides of Agron’s face in his hands and pull him down for a kiss. Agron tasted like maple syrup and Nasir kissed him deeper.

“I don’t want this morning to end,” Agron said when they pulled away, foreheads resting against each other, and he wondered if what he said was too much. It wasn’t, by the way Nasir pressed another quick kiss to his lips.

“Me too.” But they each thought about their upcoming day; Nasir had to go to work in a couple of hours, and Agron made plans to play rugby with the team again and then maybe go out for coffee with Mira so she can gush to him about her new girlfriend (she had texted him last night and told him how it became _official_  between her and Saxa, but that all she said, and she didn’t respond when Agron asked her if the sex was really  _that_  mind-blowing) . 

“In all honesty, though,” Agron punctuated his words with another kiss, “I could do this all day.”

Nasir smirked. “What? Stand in your kitchen and kiss me?” He cocked his head to one side and Agron couldn’t deny how attracted he was to this man.

“Yes.” Another kiss, and this time it lasted longer, and he savoured it.

 

Naevia was walking through the gallery, making sure everything was in place. A new artist was making their debut that night, and it was her job to make sure the pieces were set up as they were supposed to and double-check the guest list. She was just about to ask Nasir if he could do her a favor, but hesitated when she saw him standing in front of one of the paintings that hung on the pristine, white walls.

His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and although a person might think he was judging the artwork, she could tell that his mind was somewhere else. Nasir was a busy body, always willing to help out and do some work way beyond the scope of his paycheck, so him standing by idly, especially when tonight was a big opening, was definitely a sight to behold.

“Nasir?” She walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Everything alright?” He looked over at her and nodded. A few strands of hair had escaped from his ponytail and framed his face, which seemed deep in thought.

“I’m fine, thanks. Just thinking. Sorry, things have been kind of… distracting.” That calm, faraway look stayed on his face for only a second longer before he composed himself, straightening out his posture and giving Naevia a smile.

“What can I do?” 

“Uh, just make a few phone calls and make sure we’re ready for tonight. And this outfit is good,” she pointed to his attire; dark jeans paired with a crisp, white button-down shirt and a black tie. “So you don’t need to change for tonight. But, come on,” she walked with him to her office in the back of the gallery so he could start making those calls, but she couldn’t help wondering what was going on with Nasir. Maybe she was just nosey, whatever.

“Seriously, Nasir,” she said when they were in her office. “As a friend, I’m asking you. Is everything okay?”

“Naevia.” Nasir smiled, but walked over to the desk and began arranging all the papers strewn about out of habit. “I’m not going to bore you with stories of my love life.”

She grinned and gave him a knowing look.

“Well, hey, here’s my advice,” She sat down on the seat across the table from Nasir. “I’ve noticed that whenever a person’s mind is occupied by love… or the possibility of love, that’s when they can create their greatest pieces, so I suggest you start—”

“Oh no,” Nasir interjected, a displeased look on his face. He waved his hand as if waving Naevia’s thoughts on the matter away. “I haven’t painted in forever. I can’t.”

“Don’t say that,” she said with a sigh, “You showed me some of your stuff a year ago and I thought it was great. Your use of colors and ability to capture any moment with your work is amazing.”

Nasir would have looked like he was blushing at the comment if his skin was lighter. Thankfully, it hid any evidence of bashfulness he might have felt.

“How about this,” Naevia offered, “If, or rather when, you begin painting again, I’ll ensure you an opening right here. Get some publicity, show off your talents. Okay?”

Nasir nodded. “I doubt that’s going to happen, though.”

 

Nasir tossed and turned in bed that night. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he simply couldn’t get any piece of mind. It should have been easy considering the gallery opening was a success and he was working all night, answering questions and checking the guest list and accommodating the artist. He didn’t get home until midnight, and normally he would’ve dropped onto his bed and slept straight into next afternoon.

Except he didn’t, and instead he felt uneasy and restless, like a dark, looming thing was hanging over him. Nasir’s mind wandered and he found himself thinking of blue eyes and dimpled cheeks, of broad shoulders and the way Agron kissed him like he was the only one that mattered. 

_Five years_. That’s how long Nasir knew of Agron’s existence. He noticed him the day he moved in and his brother and a few of his cousins helped him bring up some furniture and boxes. That day Agron had passed by a few times and Nasir had to pretend he didn’t notice him, lest Pera or anyone else noticed. He was immediately intrigued by the other man, but he simply didn’t have the courage to say anything. Years went by just like that. Agron would walk right by him on the street, or sometimes Nasir would catch a glimpse of him through his window while Agron was walking around his place shirtless, his hair mussed up and his muscles flexing with every movement, and maybe Nasir  _was_  waiting for him to make the first move.

He lost hope one day, though. It when he was on his way to work at his old job (he worked the night shift until he picked up a job at the gallery two years ago thanks to Naevia), and he saw Agron walking with his arm around another guy’s shoulders. Nasir stopped for a brief second and watched the men walk to Agron’s apartment building, sharing soft conversation and the occasional laugh. While Agron fumbled slightly with his keys, out of nervousness or whatever it had been, the man leaned forward and pressed his lips to his neck, and that’s when Nasir turned away and began walking. It was ridiculous, at the time. Being jealous and lusting after a neighbor whose name he hadn’t even known.

He still remembered the day they first began speaking, not too long ago. The memory clutched at his chest and filled him with warmth, but at the same time made him feel that same anxiousness. He turned onto his side and threw his covers off. _It’s too fucking hot in this place_. He thought back to that moment; when he saw his chance and took it.  The man had walked by him and Nasir had felt that same pain, that deep longing that he’d managed to keep under control for five years, and when he saw the man reach into his back-pocket to slip his wallet in, Nasir’s eyes were intent on the way the wallet didn’t slip into the pocket but slid off the fabric and fell to the floor with a sound that was almost inaudible, but for Nasir it was a siren going off in his head; loud and maddening.

He had his chance to talk to him, and thankfully Nasir still had his wits about him and didn’t manage to fuck it up. He had his fair share of practice at keeping his feelings at bay, and if that didn’t work he could act like he doesn’t care. Things were different about Agron, and even though Nasir didn’t know where things were going, he wished they would keep going. He wanted to feel Agron’s lips on his again, the way Agron would touch him so gently and yet so powerfully at the same time. He wanted to taste him, smell him, have him; all of him, but he wanted to cherish it every step of the way.

Nasir sat up in bed and sighed heavily. He was fucked if he was going to get any sleep that night. He stared off into his dark room and then decided to get up and move a bit. He stood in front of his window and stretched, and wondered why Agron’s light hadn’t come on at all that night. Nasir sighed, and almost reluctantly closed his curtains, so he was enveloped in total darkness.

The light that broke said darkness came from his cell, which vibrated with purpose on his nightstand. Nasir raised an eyebrow and picked it up, and when he saw it was a call from Agron, pressed the answer key.

“Agron…?” He was filled with both happiness and confusion. Elated that Agron called him, but unsure of the reason. Nasir heard only laboured breathing from the other line, and his face screwed up in confusion. “Agron, is that you?” He asked.

“N-nasir,” Agron finally spoke. Nasir let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. But something didn’t seem right. Agron didn’t sound happy. His breathing was still uneven and if Nasir wasn’t mistaken—

“Agron, are you crying? Are you all right?” His breathing quickened as a million and one possibilities ran through his head. Was Agron hurt? Did something awful happen? Nasir waited for what seemed like ages for a response, all the while bracing himself for the worst.

“I’m fine…” Agron said, still sounding distraught. Nasir turned on the light in the bedroom just in case he wanted him to go anywhere.

“Then what happened?”

“It’s… Duro. He got into a car accident, Nasir.  _Please_.” His voice cracked and Nasir felt his own hands tremble. “Come to the hospital. I can’t be alone… I-I can’t deal with this by myself.”

And so Nasir did.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hospital.

After slipping on jeans, sneakers, a shirt and a jacket, Nasir drove and arrived at the hospital in roughly half an hour. Agron had sent him a text of where he was and he walked over to the waiting area, which was quite sparse except for a woman sitting on the opposite side of the room with her phone in her hands, and Agron. He sat with his elbows rested on his knees and his head in his hands. Nasir walked over and sat right next to him, and Agron didn't even look up to see who it was. Nasir placed a comforting hand on Agron's shoulder. He didn't need to say anything, and instead set his arm around Agron's shoulders, and another hand on his arm, rubbing his skin comfortingly.

Agron sighed and Nasir was about to back away and give him some space, but Agron finally picked his head up and forced a smile for the other man. Nasir smiled back and moved his hands to grasp both of Agron's.

"How is he?" Nasir asked.

"Don't know yet," Agron said. "I've been waiting for a while. They said the doctor will come and see me soon... I hope it's not serious." In that moment, Nasir noticed the way Agron's eyes lacked the spark and livelihood that they normally contained. He wouldn't be surprised if Agron was just barely holding himself together, and he tried to push away thoughts of what would happen if Duro  _was_ in bad shape.

"Do they know exactly what happened?" He asked. Agron nodded his head.

"Yeah," he said, and he sounded emotionally  _exhausted_ , "drunk driver." His hands involuntarily squeezed Nasir's, out of anger or frustration or whatever it was, and Nasir didn't have time to even wince before Agron realized his mistake. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, looking down at their hands. "I'm sorry," and he wasn't sure who it was directed towards. Nasir forgave him, because he knew what it was like to have a family member in peril. It was terrifying, especially for Agron, who held his brother so near and dear to him.

"My parents are out of town," Agron said suddenly, looking up at Nasir. "I called them and my mom started freaking out; crying, but they're on their way. Might take a few hours." Nasir nodded and stayed huddled close to Agron, and knew that he would stay all night if he had to, and frankly, he wouldn't mind in the slightest.

A few minutes later the doctor came into the waiting room and asked if Agron was the patient's brother. She brought him off to the side to speak to him, but Nasir caught a few words of their conversation.

" _Stable... two broken ribs... hairline fracture in his skull... until he wakes to assess the full extent..._ "

Agron sat back down in his seat after the doctor had walked away. "It'll be a while until I can see him..." he offered. Nasir nodded. "I just want to see if he's alright."

"I understand," Nasir said.

"Listen," Agron said, looking at him tired eyes, "you don't have to stay. You can go home and--"

"No," Nasir said firmly. "I'm staying with you." Nasir didn't even have work tomorrow, but he knew that even if he did, even if the most important event of his life was tomorrow, he'd stay in a hospital waiting room with Agron until his brother woke up, and until Nasir could rest assured that everything was okay.

  
  


Hours passed, and Agron was still as high-strung as ever. A million thoughts raced through his head, ranging from anger over the situation, to anxiety over the state his brother was in, to memories of when they were children, and he was unable to shake the guilt he felt, as if he could have done something different. Nasir sat with his knees hugged to his chest and watched as Agron paced in the waiting area, walking past Nasir so many times that the Syrian began to feel dizzy.

The next time he passed by, Nasir reached out and grabbed Agron's wrist. "Hey," he said. "Sit down." His voice was gentle and coaxing, and Agron only thought about it for a second before he forced a smile and sat back down in his seat. Nasir could only imagine the anxiety that flooded through him, only because he was feeling a small amount of it himself.

They remained in silence, but it was broken after a few minutes.

"You know," Agron said as he slouched down in his seat. Nasir looked over at him. "I hurt Duro once when we were little."

"I'm sure it was an accident," Nasir offered.

Agron shook his head. "I was ten. He was only seven. He kept bothering me, told me to let him ride my bike, so I just let him. It was so stupid." He sighed. "My bike was too big for him. He was a small kid at seven. I didn't have training wheels on my bike anymore and my parents said I could teach him, they trusted me, but I needed to watch him the whole time. It took him a whole day to gather up the courage to even sit on it," he smiled weakly at the memory and Nasir smiled as well.

"But he wouldn't give up. He was  _going_ to ride a bike no matter what. He's always been stubborn," he looked over at the Syrian sitting next to him, "always wanted to do what his big brother was doing."

Nasir placed his hand on the back of Agron's neck, just so he would know he was  _there_ for him, and not only physically. Agron let his eyes slide shut for a moment and took a deep breath before he continued.

"He was getting annoying. I would help push him a little bit and he would tell me to let him try by himself but I wouldn't let him. He didn't have the balance yet. But he kept telling me to let him go, and kept peddling faster, and I told him to stop and he didn't and I wanted to kick him off my bike. So instead I was like "fine, you wanna go by yourself? Go." and I let go of the grip I had on one of the handlebars and the back of the seat, and he went. I was really proud of him. He was really shaky at first, but he peddled faster and he straightened out. I stood and watched, but suddenly he cried out my name. He didn't know how to break, so he was just going and going, and I guess he freaked out because he lost control of the handlebars as well.

"I started running, but he was already at the end of the block, and the street was right in front of him, and I was so scared he was going to get hit by a car. I ran faster but he finally turned the handlebars away at the last second and instead hit the sidewalk. He broke his arm and his nose was bleeding, and he wouldn't stop crying." Agron's eyes were on the empty space in front of him, as if the scene was happening all over again. "I told him to shut up because Mom and Dad would hear, but he cried even louder. All he kept saying was "Why'd you let me fall? Why'd you let me fall?' And I started crying too, because I didn't know  _why_ I let him fall."

"You were only ten," Nasir offered.

"Doesn't matter," he said, with an audible edge in his tone. Ten, twenty-nine, it's all the same."

"But you didn't  _do_ this," Nasir tried to reason.

"Yeah," Agron agreed, "But I wish I hadn't let him fall this time."

  
  


After a while Nasir took a walk down to the hospital cafeteria. At this point it was already five in the morning, and although Agron wasn't as high strung as he was earlier in the night (or morning, as it was), he was still nervous. When Nasir got back up to the waiting room, Agron was curled up on himself, which was a sight to behold considering how big he is. He was turned to one side in his chair and sat with his legs crossed and his arms crossed in front of his chest, and Nasir could tell he was trying his best to stay awake by the way he continually blinked and then rubbed his tired eyes.

"Hey," Nasir said, offerring him a cup of coffee. Agron looked up at him and smiled, taking the cup in both hands and lifting the lid off to blow on it a little so he wouldn't burn his tongue. Nasir sat down next to him with his cup, and offered Agron a bagel that he got, but Agron shook his head.

"I can't eat right now," he explained. "But thank you." Nasir smiled fondly. His heart ached for the other man, and in a way he felt as if his own brother was the one that was hurt. He'd never met Duro, and only saw him once in that picture on Agron's wall in his apartment, but he got a certain feel of him, and he  _knew_ that they would be friends given the chance. Especially since he shared DNA with Agron, and Nasir couldn't get enough of that particular German right now. He watched the way Agron took a tentative sip of his coffee, and after realizing it's not too hot, took a longer drink. Nasir almost felt as if he wasn't doing enough. The pain and uncertainty that Agron felt surely wouldn't go away until he'd finally seen and spoken to his brother again, and if only Nasir could help shoulder a bit of that weight, take away some of the burden, he would feel a little more useful.

The coffee didn't seem to work that well, because not before long Agron had settled into a different position; curled up next to Nasir. His head rested on Nasir's shoulder; face pressed into his neck, and Nasir's hand went up to Agron's hair and rubbed his scalp with his fingertips soothingly. It was something he remembered from when he was a child; a trick his mother would do to get him to fall asleep. He would lay with his head on her lap and her soft, caring fingers would trace little patterns on his scalp until he was lulled to sleep. Apparently, it worked well with Agron, because he shortly fell asleep. Whether it was deep or not didn't matter, because at least he was resting, and Nasir rested his cheek on Agron's head and didn't try to keep his eyes open any longer.

They must not have been asleep for long, because Nasir awoke quite easily when Agron shifted and pulled away from him to stand up. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times until his bleary vision cleared and he could make out two people who could have only been Agron's parents. Nasir stood up and tried to avert his gaze while Agron embraced his mother and father.

His mother was shorter than Nasir, with brown hair tied up in a bun and a slim figure. Her face was still youthful in many ways but her eyes were crinkled with worry as she hugged her elder son. Agron's father looked a lot more like Agron; he was a big guy that was surprisingly fit for his age, with very close-cut hair and those same, warm eyes that both of his boys had. Agron explained the situation so far to his parents and Nasir stood by, not wanting to interrupt. He heard Agron's parents speak a couple of words to each other German.

Agron's hand was suddenly on Nasir's arm, and he gently pulled him closer.

"Mom, Dad, this is Nasir." They barely glanced at him but shook his hand out of politeness. He understood that they had greater matters weighing heavily on the mind.

"I'm sorry I had to meet you under these circumstances..." Nasir said, "I'm sure Duro will be fine." Agron's mother spared him another glance at that, and she managed to smile weakly despite the tears she shed.

They sat back down, Agron and Duro's parents sitting on the opposite side of the waiting room, which was now empty, while Agron and Nasir sat next to each other. Agron looked over at Nasir and gave him a small smile, and placed his hands on Nasir's thigh, resting it there. Nasir quickly glanced over at the parents, but visibly calmed when he saw they weren't even paying attention. Agron squeezed his thigh and Nasir just wanted to kiss him.

The doctor soon came back in (after greeting Agron's parents, who apparently were Mr. and Mrs. Veicht) and said that they can go in and see Duro, so Nasir was left alone while all three of them went off to Duro's room. He stood and stretched his arms above his head, and decided to wait until Agron got back before he left to go home. He just wanted to get in his car, drive to his apartment, and pass out, and he didn't feel half as guilty for wanting it now that Duro's parents and brother were with him.

The first one back into the waiting room wasn't Agron but his father, and he tried to act not too taken aback when the man walked over to him and embraced him. Nasir returned the embrace and couldn't help the lightness he felt at that.

"Thank you," he said in a rough, accented voice. Nasir nodded. He wasn't sure what he was being thanked for, but he appreciated it greatly.

"No problem."

The man smiled and sat back down in his seat, picking up an old magazine from the table in the center of the room and flipping through it without really reading anything. Agron walked back into the room them, feet shuffling slightly and green eyes weary but his features looked a bit calmer.

"Mom's in there with Duro," he explained, looking over at his father and then at Nasir, "he's awake and nods, so he understands us, and he spoke a few words, but that's about it."

"I'm glad," Nasir said, placing his hand on Agron's forearm. Agron smiled at him and placed his hands on either side of Nasir's neck, and looked into his eyes for a moment before he leaned in and kissed him. The kiss was long and slow, and said everything that Agron didn't have the ability to.

"Thank you," he said, and placed another kiss to Nasir's forehead. "You can go home and sleep now."

Nasir looked up at him, "and what about you?" Agron's hands dropped back to his sides.

"I'll stay here for a while longer."

One his way out, he spared a passing glance at Agron's father, and saw that although his eyes were still on the pages of the magazine, a small, subtle smile was on his lips.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the choppiness of this installment. It was hard to get out but I already have the next chapter outlined so it shouldn't be too long before I have that one done.   
> Enjoy.

The sun was shining out when Nasir left the hospital, tired and weary. After a careful drive home, he entered his apartment, showered quickly, crawled into bed and fell asleep almost instantaneously. He slept soundly with the knowledge that at least Duro was awake, and he had his brother and parents there with him. He didn't awake until past noon.

 

Later that day Nasir was laying on his couch, reading a book when he  received a text from Agron.

_Can I come over?_ It read. Nasir smiled at the screen and sent his response.

_Of course_ .

It took only a few minutes for Agron to walk down from his apartment, and Nasir ringed him up. When he opened the door for Agron, he was happy to see that he looked much better than he had at the hospital.

"I'm guessing you got some sleep finally," Nasir said while he closed the door behind him. Agron's eyes were lively again and he looked clean and content. When they hugged, Nasir pressed his face against Agron's neck and inhaled.

"I didn't really want to be alone," Agron whispered "hope you don't mind that I came over." He tightened his arms around him. Nasir smiled and pulled back for a moment, placing a hand on the side of Agron's face gently. Seeing Agron could  _never_ be a bad thing.

"How's your brother?" He asked. Before answering, Agron leaned in for a kiss and was granted that, except this time it was less of a thank-you, and more of them just wanting to taste each other. Nasir also took this as a good sign of Duro's health, since Agron seemed less burdened than before.

"He's good," Agron answered. "He's getting released tomorrow morning, and he's gonna stay with me for a while." He chuckled lightly. "I don't really trust him to be by himself just yet."

"I'm glad you've stopped blaming yourself," Nasir admitted. Agron averted his eyes, and seemed to look almost guilty. "Don't," Nasir said, grabbing Agron's chin between his thumb and forefinger and making him face him again. "You were worried. I understand why your mind jumped to that conclusion, but I just wanted you to know that it's not the case. Anyone would be lucky to have a brother like you."

"Or," Agron pressed another soft kiss to Nasir's lips before continuing, "a boyfriend like me?" Despite Nasir being twenty-five, he still felt his heart race at that comment.

"What?" He asked, just to make sure he hadn't heard wrong.

"Just putting that out there," Agron said, with a smile that lit up the room.

Nasir sighed smiled back. "Yeah, sure, that too."

Agron's hands slid up under Nasir's shirt and caressed his warm skin. "You're one lucky guy, then," he said against Nasir's lips. And yeah, he was.

They soon settled down in the living room with cups of tea that Nasir had quickly made, and they enjoyed each others' company; sometimes in silence, sometimes speaking.

"I want you to meet my brother tomorrow," Agron said. He set his drink on the coffee table and placed a warm hand on Nasir's thigh.

"I want to meet him too." Nasir smiled. "I bet he's great."

"He is," Agron agreed, his green eyes honest and full of hope, "and he's going to love you."

  
  


The next day after work, Nasir did something he realized he  _had_ to. It took him only a few minutes to rummage through his drawers at home before he found the key that he had hidden all that while ago, and he finally drove to the building that he thought he wouldn't see again. It felt odd, taking things out that he had locked away long ago and thought he would never think of again (except for the monthly bill from the storage facility). He loaded up his car and then made a trip to the art store across town before driving back to his place. He had never felt so happy at the thought of carrying so much up to his place.

He sat on his couch and looked at the items that now took over the other half of the living room. This is what his place used to look like until he had stopped any and all art work, and now that his easel was set up, and he had some new paints and a sketch pad, he felt... at home.

The urge to make something struck him right then, harder than ever before. He had the overwhelming  _need_ to create something. To paint and watch the colors mix, to pour out his soul on a blank canvas and make it  _him_ . Imprint it with his colors and his thoughts and his ideas until his creation became a part of him. 

It would have to wait just a little longer, because right then he recieved a text from Agron.

_Come over and say hi to my annoying brother. he wants to meet you!_

 

"You have a visitor!" Agron sing-songed as he walked into the living room, followed by Nasir. Duro shook his head and groaned.

"You're so...  _camp_ ," Duro said, and that made Nasir laugh.

"Only for you," Agron winked at his brother. He looked over at Nasir and gently pushed him over to the person sitting on the couch. Duro was looking quite unhappy, with his legs stretched out in front of him and resting on a pillow on the coffee table. His arm was in a sling and his face was covered in various bruises and small cuts, but he looked better than Nasir expected. Duro managed a smile but when he reached his good arm out to shake Nasir's hand, it caused him a fair amount of pain and he grimaced slightly.

Nasir shook his hand and looked at the man before him. He gave off a kind, warm impression, and although his dark hair and more jagged features differed from Agron's, it was obvious that they were brothers.

Duro smiled up at him. "You can sit down next to me," he said. "I don't bite."

Agron scoffed at that. 

His brother glared back, "Yeah, whatever, that was  _one_ time!" Duro insisted. Agron looked over at Nasir and shook his head.

"I still have the scar to prove it. My brother's a cannibal." Nasir laughed and Duro scoffed.

"He's  exaggerating ," Duro insisted, and patted the space beside him. Nasir sat down. The television was still on but it was muted.

Agron leaned down and squeezed Nasir's bicep comfortingly, "You want something to drink?" he asked, and Nasir shook his head. Agron sat down at the love seat perpendicular to the couch.

"I just wanted to say thanks," Duro said with a smile. Nasir forced a smile.

"Everyone should stop thanking me," he insisted. "I didn't do anything."

"Shut up," Duro said with a grin. "I know you were the first and the only one that stayed with my brother in the waiting room until my parents came. If you weren't there he would've gone insane. He doesn't handle situations like that well." Agron averted his eyes and sank into his seat. "He would have probably assaulted a nurse until she gave him some answers."

Agron smirked. "Never," he said.

Duro was just as nice as Nasir thought he would be, and they had a good conversation with a couple of laughs here and there (although Duro tried not to laugh too often, because when he did his ribs would hurt and he would stop and wince in pain). It was then that he saw the extent of Agron and Duro's relationship, because they were more than just brothers. They were best friends. Somewhere, deep inside Nasir's chest, he wished for the same for him and Pera.

  
  


An hour later Duro was feeling kind of tired so he went to go lay down and Agron walked Nasir next door to his place. Before Nasir opened the door to his apartment, Agron looked at him with tenderness and took hold of his hand.

"What?" Nasir asked, a small smile on his lips. Something was up. He felt something placed in the palm of his hand, and Agron squeezed his hand before letting go. When Nasir looked down he saw it was a key.

"Is this...?" He tried to ask.

"If you ever need me," Agron said softly, "I'm literally right next door." He smiled.

Nasir nodded and they embraced. They held each other close for a long moment, and Nasir pulled Agron down for a kiss before he turned away and walked into his apartment building.

  
  


That night, Nasir started his first piece in two years.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nasir spends some time with his own brother, and things don't go as planned.

Two weeks later, Agron was at a bar he'd never been to before with Mira and Saxa. He liked it, though. The music that came through the speakers was good and not too loud, the drinks were cheap, and the atmosphere was great for a day of unwinding. He had gotten closer to Saxa since she started dating Mira, and he realized that she was pretty great. It only helped that she was German as well, and maybe Agron was sometimes afraid of her.

Mira drank her martini and Saxa had her rum and coke and Agron was already feeling tipsy from the vodka. It was the point in the night when they'd had enough alcohol in them to be friendly and open, but not drunk and stumbling, so it was a great time to vent. He looked at the women sitting across the table from him.

"It scares me," Agron said all of a sudden. Mira raised her eyebrows.

"What scares you?" She asked.

"Nasir," he admits. At this point he had already told Mira that they were together (she was really excited when he told her for some reason, and hugged him really tight until he could barely breathe. She's got some killer upper body strength). "We've gone out a couple of times but mostly we just hang out... I have a key to his apartment and he has a key to mine."

"Do you feel like it's too fast?" Saxa chimed in, but Agron shook his head. His drink was already drained.

"No, not at all. I'm just..." he looked at an empty space in front of him and tried to get his words straight. "I'm afraid something will happen to him. Like when I almost lost my brother, that scared the shit out of me, and I feel like the closer I get to Nasir... I just can't handle something bad happening to him."

"But," Mira said, in her calm, level, ever-rational tone, "you've been in relationships before. This isn't anything new." She ate the olive from her martini and Agron thought about what she said.

"No," he insisted. "It  _is_ different."

Saxa drained the rest of her rum and coke and gave Agron a  _look_ .

"Grow some balls, man," she said. He tried to look shocked but at this point he knew her brash way of talking was just honesty. "If you like him, go with it, don't let it slip away because you have commitment issues."

Agron smirked. "I  _don't_ have commitment issues. This is just a little new to me."

"Well don't fuck it up," Mira spat, and both Saxa and Agron looked at her with identical shocked expressions. Her eyes widened and she finally laughed.

"Sorry!" She said, although she really wasn't.

" _Really_ ," Agron turned his attention to the blond, "you're a horrible influence on her."

  
  


  
  


Naevia noticed something different right away when Nasir showed up to work the next day with paint stains on his fingers. He was giving an artist a tour of the gallery in hopes that she would want to display her pieces there. Nasir had the innate ability to talk to people, never seeming like he was being either condescending or a  sycophant , and he spoke things out of complete honesty, which is why so many were quick to trust him. Naevia had seen a rise in the number of pieces asked to be displayed at the gallery and all the local artists that insisted on having their showings there. She thanked Nasir for most of it.

He had finished giving the tour and the artist was now talking to one of their newer employees, a young, fresh-faced girl named Diona. Diona was put it charge of most of the booking and finalization in order to take some of the burden off Nasir. Now he gave tours and organized events and guests lists while Naevia ran the gallery and made the necessary last-minute changes and arrangements, and did whatever she good to get the word out.

"Nasir," she said, playfully nudging his shoulder with hers. He smiled. He wore black slacks and and a light, lavender-tinted button down. His hair was tied back tightly into a bun, and he looked lively.

"Yeah, yeah," he said. He knew she was referring to the paint stains on his fingers, as he tried hard to scrub them off in the shower last night, but after a while realized that he didn't mind that it showed. "I guess I finally got the inspiration I needed."

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" She said, and gave him a hug. She smelled sweet, being around her always made Nasir feel as if he was in the presence of an older sister.

"But, uh," he started, and waited until Naevia smiled before continuing. "I kind of want to take you up on that offer," Nasir said. "I have some pieces from a couple of years ago that I got out of storage a few weeks ago, and I've been working on a handful of new ones, so I was thinking, if it wasn't too much of an inconvenience..."

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "Just tell me when you have everything ready in a few months or however long it takes, and I'll make sure that you'll get your own showing one night."

"Thank you." He felt as if he had just accomplished something great in that instant. 

  
  


  
  


Pera called Nasir up a few days later. He complained that they hadn't hung out in forever, and Nasir definitely missed his older brother, so they agreed to go out for lunch later that week.

They went to a casual restaurant that they both enjoyed, and they talked about life and sports and other things. Pera's girlfriend was pregnant so Nasir felt overjoyed for his brother and at the aspect of being an uncle. They spoke about their parents and their family members back in Syria, and Nasir reminded Pera that it was their cousin Sabeen's eighteenth birthday next week, and  _send her a card or something, you always forget._

His phone vibrated and he instantly smiled when he saw that it was a text from Agron.

"Hey," Pera said, noticing his reaction. "I've only seen my brother smile like that a  _few_ times before. Are you talking to a  _lady-friend_ ?" 

Nasir smirked. "Nah, just a friend." Pera looked skeptical but Nasir insisted that _it's nothing, now stop._

Pera  _couldn't_ stop, though, and when Nasir left the table to go to the bathroom and left his phone right there, he  _had_ to look through it. His brother had always been so completely silent about his love life, even when they were younger. Pera would bring girls home and Nasir never did, and when questioned about it, he just said he had better things to worry about. If someone  _was_ in his life, Pera had all the right in the world to know.

It wasn't that difficult finding out Nasir's pass lock (his birthday), and when the phone unlocked Pera quickly scrolled through the conversations. There were a few conversations that were open, but there was only one that had been recently updated. Just then, he received another text.

_you should come by later for dinner!_

Pera became intrigued then, and scrolled through all the previous texts sent between the two of them and even though there was nothing explicitly suggestive about it, he got the sinking feeling in his stomach that Nasir was more than just friends with this man. Pera quickly re-locked the phone and placed it in its previous spot just before Nasir got back.

"Are you okay?" Nasir asked. Pera nodded. He felt slightly light-headed. 

"Yeah," he said. 

He didn't want to make a scene in the restaurant, but when they walked out and Nasir had said by to him and was about to walk to his car, Pera stopped him with a hand on his forearm. Nasir looked at him curiously.

"What?" He asked.

Pera suddenly felt his face get hot, anger swelling within him.

"Who the  _fuck_ is Agron?" He asked, venom in his tone. Nasir felt his stomach drop.

" _What_ ?"

" _Hm_ ?" He intoned. Nasir's reaction to the name was all the evidence he needed. He stepped closer to his younger brother and looked down at him. "What the fuck is this faggot shit, Nasir?" He hissed.

"You looked through my phone?" Nasir didn't sound nearly as mad as Pera. "You shouldn't have done that," he said simply. "You don't have that right, and I'm not a kid anymore."

Pera ran his hands through his own short hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Listen to me," he said, and Nasir's eyes showed defiance at those words. "Whatever fucking phase this is, you stop this shit. There aren't any gays in our family and you are  _not_ going to be the first one, you got me?"

Nasir felt small again. He felt like he was ten and Pera was standing over him, yelling at him for breaking Mom's Good China. He didn't appreciate it in the least.

"No," he said. "You can't tell me what to do. This isn't a  _phase_ , and I don't care about your opinion. You can go ahead and be closed-minded but I would  _appreciate_ it if you would just calm down and accept it for what it is."

Pera scoffed. His jaw was tense and he looked angry, but Nasir had seen this way too often to be intimidated by him.

"C'mon, Pera," Nasir said softly. "We're pretty close, don't let this ruin it..." he stopped himself from adding a  _please_ at the end of that.

"If you don't clean up your fucking act," he said through gritted teeth. "I swear I will never speak to you again. Mom and Dad will  _disown_ you when they find out."

Suddenly Nasir felt his mouth go dry. "Don't do that," he said, barely able to get the words out. "Don't tell them."

Pera smirked. He had finally struck a nerve. "I'm telling you, Nasir. I'm gonna give you a bit of time to get this gay thing out of your system, and you're going to stop talking to him, or else you won't  _have_ a family anymore."

"You're being irrational!" Nasir said. He felt as if they were making a scene, and that made things even worse.

"You're the irrational one," Pera pressed his finger to Nasir's temple, and Nasir pulled away. "Fucking homosexual," he slipped back into Arabic in his fit of rage. "What the fuck is that? You weren't raised like that."

Nasir shook his head. "Fine," he retorted. "Goodbye."

He tried to ignore the words Pera shouted to the back of his head as he walked away, and that was easier than ignoring the burning in the back of his eyes.

Nasir drove back home, white-knuckling the steering wheel the entire time. Why did Pera have to be such a fucking  _asshole_ ? Why couldn't he have a relationship with him like Agron and Duro have? Duro seems completely accepting of Agron, and their parents aren't that bad either from what he saw at the hospital (especially their father, who really seemed like a good guy). Why did Pera have to fuck it all up and degrade him in public? But more importantly, would be really tell their parents?

  
  


  
  


Nasir put the key that Agron gave him to good use. He walked into Agron's place, and was surprised when he Duro popped his head out from the kitchen, but then he remembered that he was still staying with him for another week or so.

"Hey Nasir!" Duro said with a smile. "Come in, I'm just putting away some groceries."

Nasir smiled weakly and walked into the kitchen. Duro was still limping a bit and he was wearing only sweatpants. His arm was still in a sling and his chest was obviously bruised, although the cuts and bruises on his face had healed.

"Hey, lemme help you with that," Nasir said, taking the groceries and placing them in their proper places in the kitchen. "Are you sure you should even be doing anything yet?" Nasir asked as he put the eggs in the refrigerator. Duro shrugged and sat down at the kitchen table.

"I'm not completely useless," he said. "I can go out and get a couple of things from the store a block away. I needed some fresh air, anyway."

Nasir put away the remainder of the few groceries and pulled a chair up next to Duro and sat down. "You gotta be careful, though," he said. "Don't wanna strain yourself."

"Aw, hey," Duro patted Nasir on the shoulder. "Don't worry about me. Agron does that enough already."

Nasir remembered why he came in the first place. "Oh, right," he said. "Sorry if I intruded or something. I wanted to see Agron but I guess he's not home yet."

"Thank god," Duro groaned. "He went to go play rugby with Spartacus and the others. He didn't want to but I made him. I think he just enjoys smothering me."

"He just loves you," Nasir said, and he knew it was a fact. "And he worries."

Duro nodded, and the conversation dulled until they sat in relative silence.

"Is something wrong?" Duro asked, his voice softer than before.

"Uh," Nasir didn't want to burden him with his problems, when they seemed so minute compared to the fact that Duro was in a car accident not too long ago. "Nothing," he finally said, and Duro gave him a total  _are you fucking kidding me_ look.

"Nasir," he said. "C'mon, you can tell me." He leaned back in his seat and Nasir smiled, and he told him what happened between him and his brother, or at least the shortened version.

Duro listened and then thought about it for a minute.

"Just give him some time," he finally said. Nasir nodded, but found it hard to understand and agree with it whole-heartedly. Time wouldn't erase the way Pera acted or the things he said.

"I know, I just wish he was more like..." he let his sentence trail off.

"What?" Duro laughed. "Hope you don't mean like me. Because it took me a little bit to warm up to Agron after he came out."

Nasir was a bit surprised by that. "Really?"

Duro nodded. "Yeah. He came out to our family when he was around twenty-one, I think. I didn't want to talk to him for a while but I loved him too much," he smiled, "and I realized that he's still the same guy. So yeah, you can't expect him to warm up to the idea right away, even though that would be the ideal situation."

"Yeah," Nasir sighed.

Duro smiled. "Listen, if in the future my kid tells me that they're gay, I'll just tell 'em it's alright, and that'll be the end of it. I know it's hard, and it shouldn't be... But your brother knows the truth now, regardless of how he found out, and that's the first step to him accepting it," he said. Nasir felt a little better, and the way Duro spoke to him so openly was a big part of that. He could give Pera some time, if that's what it took.

Just then there was the sound of the door opening and closing, and heavy footsteps against the wooden floor, making their way towards the kitchen. Nasir felt his mood soar at the sight of Agron, and the look on Agron's face displayed a sentiment shared.

"Hey!" He said with a smile. He walked over to Nasir and bent down to give him a kiss. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he answered, because he was. He would tell Agron what happened later, but for now, Duro helped shoulder the burden of the fight with Pera just by listening.

"Great," Agron said with a smile. "I'm going to go shower and then I can get started on dinner," he walked out of the kitchen, and Duro looked at Nasir and winked.


End file.
